Two coins to win a race

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Bo

I wanted to give KK something special for his Comrades race, something meaningful. But he’s not the soft, fluffy teddy emotional kinda guy. A rather introverted engineer, he’s not into deep quotes. He’d rather watch cat videos on YouTube than a motivational TED video and Hallmark cards aren’t his thing.

His face went blank when I even suggested that we watch Chariots of Fire together the week before Comrades, so I really was torn as to how I showed him my support & that he knew I understood the significance of his race and what it meant to him.

I knew he wanted his back to back Comrades medal more than anything. This is a medal only given out to those who run the Up run and return the next year to run the Down run (or vice versa). It wasn’t even about beating his previous time. All he spoke about was these two medals and ensuring he finished in time because this would be his only opportunity to get it.

So the night before the race, I packed two coins into a tiny plastic bag which I gave to him to run with. The two coins symbolized his two medals and I told him that each & every time he felt like quitting or when it got tough out there along the route, that he should reach into his running belt and feel the two coins. Feel and envisage what he was running for.

KK finished his race and got his medals! He didn’t say whether or not the coins helped but I did notice that he never threw them aside. When we packed up to go home, I caught a glimpse of the coins, still in the packet, tucked away neatly with the rest of his running kit. That said it all…

It’s (mostly) all in your head #quote

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Bo

My Coach has managed to teach me that yes, running is all about consistency and discipline. On the days I get home from work and crash on the bed, I know that heading out that door for a 30 minute easy run will do my body and mind a whole lot more than a half an hour snooze.

I’ve come to realise that it’s my mind that needs the extra training some days, not so much my body. Running, home-life, at work. Believing in myself. Pushing myself out of comfort zones and stretching myself. I know I can do it. I need to train my mind to believe it!

Running three hours through life

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Bo

Running a race mirrors life in more ways than you realize and has always been the main theme of my blog. This morning’s Pick ‘n Pay half marathon showed me why in so many ways..

When we woke up at 3am, it was pouring with rain. I secretly leapt with joy, hoping to jump back in to bed to go back to sleep, but KK refused to let his plans of running his marathon be dashed, and so off we went. As we arrived at the race venue, the rain disappeared and we ran in the most glorious cool weather.

~ Goals. Stick with them through rain or shine, no matter what gets thrown your way. There will always be distractions. Remain focussed.

As I stood at the start line, my mind was not right. I had still allowed the weather to throw me and so my mood was stressed, anxious and negative. Not a good start and the first couple of kays were the most difficult.

~ Attitude. Pick your attitude and ensure it is right or else it will set you on a path to failure.

At the 10km mark, I caught up with a friend who was “coaching” another runner. Her strategy: “run two street poles, walk one”, a similar strategy to the one she used on me to run the Deloitte half marathon last year. I joined in. BEST decision of the race. It was not so much the street poles, but being pulled along by someone who ‘believed’ in her strategy and who kept motivating us. Her energy was boundless and catchy. I “wanted” to keep up with her and be fuelled by her motivation.

~ Coaches/Mentors/People who encourage. Find these people and stick with them. They want you to succeed. They believe in your abilities and they will help you reach your goals.

I must admit, I was not fit enough to keep up with my running friend and she did start slipping further and further away.

~ Friends. They come and go. They pop into your life for reasons when you need them most, then pop out. This is life and it’s okay. It’s how life works.

As I got to the 18km mark, my feet started to ache really badly. This is where I started to hate everyone. I wanted to cry. I blamed others for the pain. I was irritated with the photographers on the road and I just wanted to quit.

~ Don’t give up. When times are tough, it’s easy to throw in the towel. It’s easy to blame others when things don’t go your way. Don’t.

I finished my race. Aching feet and all. I have the t-shirt to prove it and I got my medal. My third Pick ‘n Pay half marathon race under the belt. Three hours of tough running.

~ The Finish line. To get there, you need to go through the ups and down and endure what life throws at you. You will get there, stick it out. Because the rewards are awesome!

Secret angels

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Bo

You get all types of people who run races. The serious few who stand at the front of the starting line and sprint out ahead. The casual Joe who mills at the back of the pack and who takes the run in his stride. The newbies, the grannies and yes, even the walkers. But there are a few runners who, in my eyes, are like secret angels when they run. You’ll know who I’m talking about…

The guy with the tambourine who taps out a jingle for 21kms. The jokers who point out arb things throughout the duration of the race to make other runners silently giggle. The pacesetters with their music strapped to their backs to sing out regular tunes to ensure the kilometres peel away.

In fact there are two specific individuals who never fail to give me that extra oomph in my feet. The one ~~angel~~ runner claims to always look out for my blue cap. He usually catches me on the first kilometre and will trot along at my pace for a few meters and make chit-chat. The other will come from behind usually singing my name for all to hear… “Brooooonnnnwynnneeee…..” I recognise him immediately. In those few minutes of running alongside me, they fill me with such motivation, their words are so incredibly uplifting and encouraging, and it’s that extra energy that pulls me along.

I was thinking about that bunch of angels today. I longed for one of them to walk past my desk and throw out some of that awesome support. I needed it. All it takes is one word, one pat on the back and one smile to help someone get through to the end of the day. I hope my angels don’t stop being so special when the race ends because the world needs people like them. At races both on and off the field.

*A blog post dedicated to @CraigBeePee and @BiggestBossFan*

(Image: Google)